Triathlon

What kind of supplements should a triathlete consume before and after training sessions?

Fueling for Triathletes: No Magic Pill, but Key Supplements to Consider

Supplements for a triathlete. Well, there's no magic pill, so we have to get away from thinking that before or after your training. I wouldn't say that there's any particular supplement. You absolutely have to fuel before a workout, so you want to get in some carbohydrates. Could be a power bar or a cliff bar or a scratch bar or it could be a piece of toast, but you have to get some carbohydrates in before you do your session. Something really simple that's not going to upset your stomach, not a burrito. You'll be tasting that for the whole session. When you finish, you want to have a combination of protein and carbohydrates. A bowl of cereal, you get some milk, you get milk giving you some protein, the cereal giving you some carbohydrates. You can also have a three to one ratio of carbs to protein drink. In terms of supplementation, I like fish oil because it has anti-inflammatory properties. Just make sure you take it with some polyphenols, which allow that fish oil to stay unheated. As soon as the fish oil comes into your body, it heats because your body's hot. You need a polyphenol so it's an antioxidant, so it doesn't heat up. Magnesium is also a great supplement to help with cramping. If you're someone that gets some cramping, it also helps with sleeping. Be careful, it can give you diarrhea. Take it before you go to bed. Some magnesium helps with sleep and cramping. Fish oil with an antioxidant, those are my go-to's and supplement as needed with vitamin C, vitamin D, according to your life.

Triathletes should look to eat carbohydrates before a training session and a combination of carbs and protein afterwards. Supplements such as fish oil with a polyphenol, magnesium, Vitamin C and Vitamin D are recommended for triathletes according to their lifestyle.

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Supplements for triathletes don't have any magical properties, so it's important to move away from that mindset. Before a training session, fueling with carbohydrates is crucial. This can be achieved through options like power bars, cliff bars, scratch bars, or even a simple piece of toast. The goal is to consume easily digestible carbohydrates that won't upset your stomach during the session. After training, a combination of protein and carbohydrates is recommended. This can be obtained through a bowl of cereal with milk or a three to one ratio of carbs to protein drink.

In terms of supplements, fish oil is beneficial due to its anti-inflammatory properties. To ensure its effectiveness, it's important to take it with polyphenols, which act as antioxidants and prevent the fish oil from heating up upon ingestion. Magnesium is also a helpful supplement for relieving cramping and aiding sleep; however, it should be taken with caution as it may cause diarrhea. Taking magnesium before bedtime can support better sleep and alleviate cramping.

As needed, consider supplementation with vitamin C and vitamin D based on your individual needs and lifestyle. Ultimately, focus on fueling adequately before workouts with carbohydrates and incorporating a combination of protein and carbohydrates post-workout.

Do you have a favorite Ironman in your career?

Triathlete's Love-Hate Relationship: Ironman World Championships

My favorite race probably is the World Championships in Hawaii. I loved racing in Hawaii even though it, you know, really bit me many times. I probably only had one successful race and it still wasn't as successful as it could have been. I had a couple of curveballs. But I loved the course. You could basically stay in your big chain ring the whole course. I loved that it was so hot. I loved swimming in the ocean. And I really loved the pressure of it. I loved that all the best athletes in the world were there. There was nothing scary about the course except for the wind. Some years it was quite big wind and would blow me, make me think I was going to fall off my bike. So I really loved that island. I loved the race. I loved the course. I loved the heat. And yet the heat destroyed me many times. I mean I have cystic fibrosis which means I sweat out more sodium. So it was a real learning curve to try to figure out how to manage my sodium. So there was a lot of learning that happened. So yeah, Ironman World Championships. But a really close second would be Ironman Australia. I have a lot of heartfelt feelings for that event. It scared me. I went there by myself. That's 24 hours of travel. I remember many, many times having a lot of tears on the plane wondering why am I doing this. I should choose a career where I can stay at home. But every time I went it was a massive learning experience. I made wonderful friends. It became a retreat. It really became a growth opportunity for me to get out of my comfort zone. And I love the Australian people.

My favorite race is the Ironman World Championships in Hawaii. I love the course, the heat, and the pressure of competing against the best athletes in the world. A close second would be Ironman Australia as it was a great learning experience for me and I made some wonderful friends there.

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My favorite Ironman race in my career would probably be the World Championships in Hawaii. Despite the challenges I faced during the race, I loved everything about it. The course was fantastic, allowing me to stay in my big chain ring for most of the race. The heat and swimming in the ocean added to the experience. The pressure of competing alongside the best athletes in the world was thrilling. The only intimidating aspect was the wind, which could be quite strong and made me fear falling off my bike. Despite struggling with the heat due to my cystic fibrosis, which made managing my sodium levels a learning process, I still cherished the race and learned a lot from it. A close second would be Ironman Australia. Although it initially scared me and involved a long journey on my own, it became a transformative experience. I formed meaningful friendships and saw it as an opportunity for personal growth outside of my comfort zone. Plus, I have a deep appreciation for the Australian people associated with that event.

Rediscover Inspiration: Overcoming Uninspired Moments with Exercise

We all have moments where we feel uninspired. It's totally, totally normal. Life ebbs and flows. We might get busy with something else which takes a lot of energy. We might have had to engage in like ten conversations at work on the phone. That's draining of the energy and then you just don't have the energy to do a workout. You feel a bit uninspired. So first of all grant yourself some some slack. Let yourself know that hey I was busy etc or I'm tired or I've got no energy. I just have nothing else in the bucket to give. But then take a step back and say hey would a workout give me energy? And it typically does. I had a massive day yesterday. I was at the CF clinic. I had a cat scan. I had blood drawn. I had a chest x-ray. I had a sweat chloride test and saw a doctor. Went downtown. Came back. I left the house at 7 30 in the morning. I got home at 2 p.m. Then I had a meeting from 3 till 4 30 and I was exhausted. But I jumped in the pool because I knew getting in the pool was gonna give me energy. And exercise gives you energy. Maybe you can't hit a hard hard workout. Maybe you can. But just give yourself the opportunity to warm up. To move the body. Flush out the stress and I guarantee you in 10 minutes you're gonna feel better. And that might be that might be it. That might be where you say okay I'm done for the day. I I really need to eat dinner or take care of my kids etc. Fine. But give yourself that opportunity to warm up. You might be able to have a stellar workout. You might just have a go through the motions exercise session. And that is equally benefit because it reduces your stress. It gives you frequency and training. Also make a list of your assets. Make a list of things you have going for you. Remind yourself how blessed you are. Remind yourself the role that exercise plays in your life and how important it is to you. And hopefully that will inspire you.

It's normal to feel uninspired and drained of energy. Give yourself some slack and allow yourself to warm up. You may find that you have enough energy for a full workout or just a few minutes of movement. Remind yourself how important exercise is and make a list of your assets to help inspire you.

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Overcoming uninspired moments is a common experience for everyone. It's important to acknowledge that it's completely normal and part of life's natural ebb and flow. Sometimes, feeling uninspired can be a result of being busy or drained from other activities. In these situations, it's crucial to give yourself some slack and recognize that you may not have the energy or motivation at that moment.

However, it's worth taking a step back and considering whether engaging in a workout or physical activity could actually provide you with energy. Often, exercise has the ability to uplift our mood and boost our energy levels. Even if you can't commit to an intense workout, simply warming up and moving your body can make a significant difference. It helps flush out stress and improve your overall well-being.

Remember that exercise doesn't always have to be a grand session – sometimes just going through the motions can be equally beneficial. The key is reducing stress and maintaining consistency in your training. Additionally, making a list of your assets and reminding yourself of the blessings in your life can help reignite your inspiration. Consider the role that exercise plays in your life and how important it is to you.

By giving yourself the opportunity to warm up, move your body, and acknowledge the positive aspects of your life, you'll be more likely to find inspiration even during those uninspired moments.

Gradual Acclimatization: Key to Preventing Triathletes' Heat Stroke

The best way to avoid heatstroke really is to gradually acclimatize. So gradually start training in the warmth. Your key session should always happen at the best time of the day for you to execute a key session. So if you're doing 8x800 on the track running workout, don't do that in the midday heat. Try to do that first thing in the morning so you can actually execute a great workout that's going to make you fitter. Your easier sessions should be done in the heat because it doesn't matter how slow you go, they're mainly endurance or frequency sessions. So that's a great way to start. And start slowly. Make sure you hydrate properly, make sure you're taking in sodium, potassium, electrolyte drink, and then replenish afterwards. And then gradually add time to it as you go. And then once you get acclimatized, once it feels like your body's adapting, you're sweating more effectively and efficiently, then you can try some harder sessions in the heat. Definitely wear a hat when you're running, try to wear light-colored clothing, try to stay cool beforehand. The last thing you want to do is start a hot session already hot. I did that once in Australia. Everyone wanted to do this really key 6-hour workout starting at 2 in the afternoon because we would get into the evening, the cooler time of day. But the trouble was, all day long we were sitting around in the heat, we had no air conditioning, so by the time we got to the workout, we were already exhausted from the heat. So start with a full tank of gas. Be cool.

Acclimate to the heat first by doing easier sessions and gradually adding more time, make sure you hydrate properly, wear a hat and light-colored clothing, and avoid starting a hot session already hot.

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Triathletes can prevent heat stroke by gradually acclimatizing to the heat. Begin training in warmer conditions and schedule key sessions during the optimal time of day for performance. For example, if you have a challenging running workout, do it in the morning when the temperature is cooler. Save easier sessions for training in the heat as they are primarily focused on endurance or frequency. Start slowly and ensure proper hydration by consuming electrolyte drinks with sodium and potassium. Replenish fluids and nutrients after training. Gradually increase the duration of heat-exposed workouts as your body adapts and becomes more efficient at sweating. When training in the heat, wear a hat and light-colored clothing to stay cool. Avoid starting a session already overheated, as this can lead to exhaustion. It's important to begin with a full tank of energy and maintain a cool body temperature throughout your training.

How do you know when it's the right time to retire?

When the Hard Work Becomes Less Appealing: The Right Time to Retire

I knew it was the right time to retire when I said to myself that I don't want to go to the Ironman World Championships two, three, four weeks in advance. To be the best on a particular course, especially in Hawaii where it's so hot and so windy, you have to get acclimatized, you have to go early, you have to learn how to be an efficient sweater, you have to become intimate with the course. And I did that and when I did that I had great races and then I got to a point where I thought, you know, I just want to go the week before. And that was the first inkling that maybe I was starting to venture away from really being a professional full-time athlete. And then I know I would look at my training and I had hill repeats on the bike and I've been doing them for 15 years and I knew what it was gonna feel like and I thought, oh I just don't really want to do those anymore. And I know that's what I need to do to be successful. I know the hard work it takes. And so when I started to shy away from the hard work, when I started to want to do less or go less hard, and when my priorities started to change where it was more important to, you know, stack the workouts, get them done so that I could go visit my mom or I could walk my dog, when it was harder and harder to leave my dogs, I knew that it was time for me to step away from being a professional athlete. I was lucky the Ironman 70.3 came around that time so I got another two years out of my career and I was able to race with a lot less volume. So that was a great reward. But when you want to shy away from the hard work, it's time to go.

When I started wanting to do less or go less hard and my priorities shifted from training to other things, I knew it was time to retire from professional athletics.

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I realized it was the right time to retire when I no longer felt motivated to prepare for the Ironman World Championships weeks in advance. To perform at my best on the challenging Hawaii course, acclimatization and detailed preparation were necessary. However, I reached a point where I only wanted to arrive a week before the race. That was my first indication that I was moving away from being a full-time professional athlete. Additionally, I noticed a lack of enthusiasm for certain training sessions, like hill repeats on the bike that I had been doing for 15 years. Although I knew the hard work required for success, I found myself less interested and less willing to push as hard. My priorities started shifting towards spending time with loved ones and attending to personal responsibilities, like visiting my mom or caring for my dog. It became increasingly difficult to leave my dogs behind for training sessions. These changes made me realize it was time to step away from professional athletics. Fortunately, the Ironman 70.3 came around, allowing me to continue racing with less volume for an additional two years. Ultimately, when the desire to shy away from hard work arises, it signals that retirement is approaching.

How does training load vary if you’re training for an Olympic event vs 70.3 vs full Ironman?

Training Load: Olympic vs 70.3 vs Ironman Demystified

Training load varies a lot, whether you're doing an Olympic distance race or a 70.3 or an Ironman. First, starting with Olympic distance, you want to have some speed. So you want to, you know, do some solid training in terms of volume. You could absolutely be riding over two hours, closer to three hours would be very beneficial for an Olympic distance athlete. You want to be running over an hour for sure, maybe upwards of 90 minutes for Olympic distance. And swimming, your workout should be between two and three kilometers. When you move to the 70.3, you add a little bit more volume, you can keep some of the sharpness, I really recommend keeping some of your threshold work, some of your tempo work, some of your intervals when you're doing 70.3. But now you've got to be riding three to four hours, and you probably should get your long run up to two hours. And adding in some quality, having some longer swims, doing some steady swims as well, not just all hundreds and fifties in the pool, but actually getting in there and feeling what it feels like to swim a kilometer straight. Then of course, moving to Ironman, a lot of it's the same as 70.3 training, but you do need to take some time to do longer rides, five, six hours, runs up to three hours. And the key is, is building frequency and consistency. So getting in activity every single day, building up the frequency of your runs, and then the way you strategically place them with runs off the bike and doing that frequently, so you get used to the nutrition, the pacing and the mental skills that you need.

To train for an Olympic distance race, you should ride for at least 2-3 hours, run for over an hour, and swim for between 2-3 kilometers. For a 70.3 race, you should ride for 3-4 hours, run for up to 2 hours, and swim longer distances. Finally, for an Ironman race, you should ride for 5-6 hours, run for up to 3 hours, and build frequency and consistency with daily activity.

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Training load varies significantly depending on whether you're preparing for an Olympic distance race, a 70.3 race, or a full Ironman. For Olympic distance, it's important to focus on building speed and volume. This includes solid training sessions of over two hours for cycling, over an hour (potentially even 90 minutes) for running, and swimming workouts between two and three kilometers.

When training for a 70.3 race, you'll add more volume while still maintaining some sharpness. It's recommended to include threshold work, tempo work, and intervals in your training regimen. Cycling sessions should extend to three to four hours, with long runs reaching two hours. Adding quality to your swim training by including longer and steady swims rather than solely focusing on shorter distances is also beneficial.

Moving on to Ironman training, many aspects remain similar to 70.3 training. However, there is a need to incorporate longer rides of five to six hours and runs lasting up to three hours. The key here is building frequency and consistency by engaging in daily activities and gradually increasing the frequency of your runs. It's also important to practice runs off the bike frequently to get accustomed to nutrition, pacing, and mental skills required for the event.

Overall, the training load increases as the race distance gets longer, requiring adjustments in volume, intensity, and duration for each respective event.

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Lisa Bentley raced for 20 years as a professional triathlete. She won 11 IRONMAN and 11 IRONMAN 70.3 races, had several top 5 finishes at the IRONMAN World Championships, represented Canada on National Teams and at the Pan American Games and was ranked top 5 in the world for a decade. Despite having Cystic Fibrosis, she competed at the highest level and saw it as a blessing, fueling her passion for sport and excellence. Lisa's race served a higher purpose to give families hope that their children with CF could achieve similar things in life.